SS William E. Dodd

SS William E. Dodd
Career (United States)
Name:	William E. Dodd
Namesake:	William E. Dodd
Owner:	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator:	Marine Transport Lines Inc.
Ordered:	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2308
Builder:	J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida
Cost:	$964,519,
Yard number:	49
Way number:	3
Laid down:	19 May 1944
Launched:	22 June 1944
Sponsored by:	Miss Frances Spain
Completed:	15 July 1944
Identification:	Call Signal: WREQ
Fate:	Laid up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, Alabama, 12 September 1945
Status:	Sold for commercial use, 25 July 1947
Career (Norway)
Name:	Milbank
Owner:	Skibs-A/S Skytteren
Operator:	Yngvar Hvistendahl, Tonsberg, Norway
Acquired:	25 July 1947
Fate:	Sold, 1958
Career (Liberia)
Name:	Thanksgiving
Owner:	Seabird Steamship Co.
Operator:	C. M. Los, Ltd., London
Acquired:	1958
Fate:	Scrapped, 1967
General characteristics
Class & type:	Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Tonnage:	10,865 LT DWT 7,176 GRT
Displacement:	3,380 long tons (3,434 t) (light) 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) (max)
Length:	441 ft 6 in (135 m)
Beam:	56 ft 10.75 in (17.3419 m)
Draft:	27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Installed power:	2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion:	2 × oil-fired boilers 1 × triple-expansion steam engine, 2,500 horsepower (1,900 kW) (manufactured by Hamilton Engine Co., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed:	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h)
Capacity:	10,800 long tons deadweight (DWT)
Complement:	41
Armament:	Stern-mounted 4"/50 caliber (102 mm) gun for use against surfaced submarines variety of anti-aircraft guns

SS William E. Dodd was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after William E. Dodd, the United States Ambassador to Germany from 1933 to 1937.

Construction

William E. Dodd was laid down on 19 May 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2308, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; she was sponsored by Miss Frances Spain, and launched on 22 June 1944.

History

She was allocated to Marine Transport Lines, Inc., on 15 July 1944. On 15 May 1945, she damaged the No. 5 bearing of her main engine. Sea trials were conducted on 27 May 1945, after repairing the bearing but they were unsuccessful so now the entire crankshaft was replace. Sea trials were again conducted on 22 June 1945, but were again unsuccessful, this time the No. 6 bearing went out and needed repairing. She was able to return to the US on 24 July 1945. On 12 September 1945, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in the James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia. On 25 July 1947, she was sold to Norway, for commercial use. She was renamed Milbank and sailed under a Norwegian flag until 1958, when she was sold to Seabird Steamship Co., and reflagged for Liberia, and renamed Thanksgiving. She was scrapped in Hirao, in 1967.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Panama City FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/jonespanamacity.htm. 
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". http://www.glynngen.com/nautical/glynn/libertyships.htm. 
• Maritime Administration. "William E. Dodd". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/sh/ShipHistory/Detail/5228. 
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)". p. 23. http://www.ww2ships.com/acrobat/us-os-001-f-r00.pdf. 
• "SS William E. Dodd". http://usmaritimecommission.de/.